Readers Write: A Case for Recalls

Recently, while collecting recall signatures, I have been asked “why we have not dropped the recalls now that we (MEG) killed the lake park?” Put simply, as far as I am concerned, the lake park was only the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

The recalls were initiated in response to a pattern of voting and manner of conducting City business which bypasses legal processes when it suits them, minimizes citizen input and which is detrimental to the long term interests of the citizens of Muskego.

As an example, Mayor Chiaverotti, Ald. Schaumberg and Ald. Werner voted to spend $2.6 Million dollars on ‘beautification’ of Pioneer Drive for the benefit of eight (8) businesses and against input from 75 affected residents. If this is not putting the interest of certain businesses ahead of the interests of residents, I don’t know what is. Further, why is this occurring while we are smack in the middle of the Janesville Road project (City share of cost approximately $10 Million).

Related to the park, however, I must point out that:

1. While campaigning for office a year ago, both Chiaverotti and Werner repeatedly made campaign promises that ‘the park was dead’, ‘the park would not be back’ and, in the case of Chiaverotti, that ‘she would oppose the park if elected mayor’. So much for trust.

2. The mayor incurred roughly $10,000 of OUR MONEY in legal fees to find ways to ignore the direct legislation petition, and the aldermen voted to ignore the petition in violation of State statutes.

3. These elected officials DID NOT stop the park in response to citizen input. Instead, they voted to ‘delay the park and spend $40,000” to justify why they should still go thru with the purchase.

4. The developers/property owners are the ones who ‘killed the park”. While that may reassure those of us with short memories, the rest of us are well aware that the developer, not the city, “killed the deal” last time, only to bring it back after Werner and Chiaverotti were (re)elected. (DO IT TO ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU; DO IT TO ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME).

The deceptive manner in which these individuals handled the park project, PROVIDING ONLY 8 DAYS OF NOTICE OF THE PROPOSED PURCHASE (AND NEVER A LEGAL PUBLIC HEARING) PRIOR TO VOTING TO APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF THE TWO MANSIONS, is the real issue.

The above are just a few of the many reasons for recalling these individuals. You can verify all of this and much more for yourself on the City website.

Citizens of Muskego should be able to trust the officials they elect to actually represent the interests of the voters. These three individuals have clearly and repeatedly demonstrated that THEY DO NOT CARE WHAT WE, AS VOTERS AND TAXPAYERS IN MUSKEGO WANT.

Suzi Link